Apparatus for use in manufacturing artificial silk



Oct. 14, 1930. F. w. SCHUBERT 1,778,302

APPARATUS FOR USE IN MANUFACTURING ARTIFICIAL SILK Original Filed July 30 19 5 771' Ed,- L0; Mao/10k 9&1, w m

Patented Oct. 14,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRIEDRICH WILHELM SCHUBERT, or APPERLEY BR DGE, NEAR BRADFORD, ENGLAND,

ASSIGNOR 'ro BRYSILKA, LIMITED, or APPERLEY DRID E, NEAR BRADFORD, ENG- LAND , APPARATUS Iron use IN MANUFACTURING ARTIFICIAL SILK origi nal'applieation filed July 30, 1926, Serial No. 125,977, and in Great Britain August 4, 1925. Divided i and this application filed July 18, 1928. Serial No. 293,741.

v The invention of the present case relates to apparatus for carrying out the method of treating the'coagulat-ing liquid employed .in the manufacture ofartificial silk from 5 Cellulose which is described and claimed in a prior application Serial No. 125,977, filed] L plication referred to, it is of primary 1111-- portance in the manufacture of artificial silk from cellulose tomaintain the coagulating liquid of a constant temperature, strength and chemical condition. 1 These desired results are secured by means of the apparatus illustrated in the accom panying drawing. v

' Referring to the drawing, 1 designates a feed or supply tank for the coagulating :0 liquid, generally water, which may be. chemically treated. As shown, the supply tank 1 is relatively elevated and the coagulating liquid passes therefrom through a pipe 2 and an atomizer to a de-aerating vessel 3. 2 The upper .end of the vessel 3 is subject to the action of a multi-stage air ejector which will create and maintain in the vessel '3 a high vacuum.

Preferably, as shown, the vacuum creating means is a three-stage nest ejector and condenser, the first stage 4 being, as before described, in direct connection with the ves sel 3 and condensers 5, 6, being, respective- .ly, positioned between said i first stage ejector 4 and second stage ejector 6 and between the latter and the third-stage ejector 7. High pressure steam is supplied to the ejectors 4, 6 and 7, from a pipe '7 and the steam employed in the last stage ejector 7 i0 is discharged to the atmosphere through a ie8.- As the -liquidiscontinuously supplied to the vessel 3 from. the tank 1" it will be brought under the influence of the high 5 vacuum created by the multi-stage air ejec;

tor and the .free oxygen in the-liquid will be withdrawn. The creation of vapor under the actionof the vacuum" will extract "amen tain amount of heat from the liquid, there- 'by cooling it and the cooled, liquid is withlect-ed in'su'ch header.

drawn from the lower end of the vessel 3 by a suitable pump 11. v

The air and vapor drawn from 'the vessel 3f bythe first stage air ejector 4 passes through an. intercooler 5, wherein the temperature of such air and vapor is reduced and the 'resillting condensed liquid is returned to the vessel 3 through the conduits The uncondensed vapor and steamdrawn from the-upper end'of the cooler 5 is under the action of thesecond stage air ejector 6 caused to pass into a second intercooler 6 located between the second and third stages of the vacuum creating means and the liquid condensed by the action bf said intercooler 6 is, as shown, returned to-the vessel 3.

Any vapor which passes the second cooler I 6 is by the action of the third stage ejector 7 discharged to the atmosphere.

P The intercoolers 5, 6, as shown, are each surrounded by suitable L water jackets through which cooling water is circulated by pipes connecting outlets l0 and inlets 9 of such jackets. v Suitable means may be provided whereby theliquidin the vessel 3 may be maintained at 'thevdesired temperature, which, it, will be noted, is less than the ordinary or normal temperature of the liquid supplied through the-pipe2. I As shown, each of the intercoolers 5, 6, has certain of its condensation tubes extended downward as shown at 22 to a point below the level of the condensed liquid and the drain connections 20 are extended upward suflicient to maintain the condensed liquid'at a predetermined depth. By this means any liquid which may be carried into the upper header of either cooler will drain back into the bottom header as the tubes 22 extend below thesurface of the liquid col- The pump 11 may be of anysuitable construction and is preferably adapted to withdraw the cooled and de-aerated liquid from thevessel 3 and discharge it at a pressure of say twenty-five pounds (25 lbs.) through a discharge pipe 12 to a suitable tank or reservoir from which it can be delivered tothe splnning apparatus.

It-will be understood that the drawing is more or less diagrammatic andthat there can be variation from some of the details shown 1n atomized form, means for maintaining a without departing from the invention.

While the operation of the apparatus will be clear from the foregoing in connection with the drawing, it may be briefly stated as follows.

'Ihe coagulating liquid, which may have been treated with suitable chemicals, is continuously passed through the de-aerating vessel 3 and in its passage is'subjected to the action of thehigh'vacuum created by the multi-stage air ejector which effectively removes or withdraws the free oxygen from such liquid without, however, raising the temperature ofthe liquid or varying the strength or chemical conditionthereof. It has been heretofore proposed to deaerate the coagulating liquid employed in the manufacture of artificial silk from cellulose, but the means for efi'ecting this have.

not been as satisfactory as those herein described.

The apparatus heretoforeused for this purpose has commonly included meanswhereby the temperature of the liquid was raised,"

but thisris objectionable because first, it necessarily results in varying the strength or chemical condition of the liquid, and, sec "ondly, the liquid should not exceed a certain temperature when acting upon the cellulose,

and therefore it has been generally necessary to provide some auxiliary'refrigerating means for cooling the liquid after it has passed from the de-aerating vessel.

,Long experience has shown that fluctuations in strength, temperature, or oxygen content of the coagulating liquid, however small, are immediately reflected on the filaments treated thereby, and it is known'that as the temperature of the coagulating liquid is increased, the drawing out or coagulating zone thereof is shortened. It is very desirable,

therefore, to avoid raising the temperature of the liquid during the de-aer'atingstep, and

also to maintain the liquid at a relativelylow temperature at all times.

With the apparatus herein described it is possible to use well water as the coagulating.

liquid, which has the advantage of being at constant temperature, and not influenced by temperature fluctuations like other water,

and to withdraw the free oxygen therefrom,

',by the particular vacuum means referred to,

without raising the temperature of such water inits passage through the vessel 3. a Y

.The apparatus provides a means by which the temperature, strength, and chemical condition of the coagulating liquid may be maintained constantand subject to very accurate control. a I i I claim:

generally water,

high vacuum in said vessel, whereby the atomizedliqui'd will be deaerated without raising the temperature of the liquid, and

' condensing means arranged to act upon the vapor separatedfrom the liquid in the vacuum vessel and comprising a casing provided .atits lower end'with a space for condensed liquid and having a series of substantially vertlcal vapor conduits r1s1ng from said space,.a cooling, acket surroundlng said con- .duits above the condensed liquid space, one

or more of the vapor conduits extending downward below the level of condensed liquid in said space, and 'a conduit for returning' liquid fromv said space'to'the vacuum vessel 1 having itsinlet above the level of the lower ends of the vapor tube or tubes-extending into said space.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set .my hand.

FRIEDRICH WIL HELM SCHUBERT. 

